© Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
For our holiday this year we decided to have a week in Spain which included a chance to go to the Spanish Grand Prix.
To make the visit even more memorable, we booked tickets to go on a pit walk tour. Our booking was for Thursday afternoon, we were being picked up by shuttle coach, taken to the circuit, and then we would be picked up to return to the hotel after the pit walk. It was very hot in the afternoon, so we applied plenty of sunscreen and wore hats. We arrived at the circuit at 5.30, and were told the coach would pick us up at 7.30, which all sounded fine. What we were not told was the walk to the circuit was 3 miles from the drop off point.
I live at the coast and we are used to doing long walks with our dog, so we consider ourselves fairly fit, but walking that distance in the searing heat up several hills was taxing for everyone. The most disappointing thing was we didn’t arrive at the circuit until 6.30, and when we got to the pit lane, there was a huge queue of people waiting to enter it. So, we had no choice but to turn around and head back out of there, but we did not arrive back at our coach until 8pm. The heat really affected us so badly we had to rest up the next day so we would be fit enough to return on Saturday for FP3 and qualifying.
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Lewis had been particularly excited about testing the new upgrades, but it appeared that in FP1 and FP2 both Mercedes drivers were finding the car to be a handful. Lewis said afterwards that he was not even sure if they would make it into Q3. He stayed at the factory until 11pm on Friday night, trying to figure out how they could improve the pace, so it was pleasing to see in FP3 that Lewis was 3rd and George 6th. This gace Lewis a boost of confidence for qualifying, which saw him top Q1.
In Q2 there was an incident on track where Lewis was doing a flying lap, and while trying to pass George Russell, the young Briton turned in on him, damaging his wing. George later explained that he did not know Lewis was there, and Mercedes said it was a case of miscommunication between the team and the drivers. George unfortunately did not make it out of Q2, he ended up P12, but Lewis did, and he made it into 5th position, which changed to 4th after Pierre Gasly received a penalty. Whilst being interviewed, Lewis explained his shock at fighting for P2 and being so close to Verstappen, and he vowed to do his utmost to win the race on Sunday. Verstappen took pole, with Sainz 2nd and Norris in 3rd.
On Sunday the weather was warm and sunny, although there was a chance of rain later. When we boarded the coach in the morning, the atmosphere was electric, all the fans with their colourful t-shirts, each one wanting their own team to do well. There were so many people going to the event, that it took our coach nearly an hour to get access to the circuit and reach the coach park.
When the drivers did their parade, we were watching at one of the bends, along with other fans. We all cheered as they passed, and Lewis made a point of waving to everyone. Although some distance away, it felt nice to realise that we were lucky enough to be there to support him and Mercedes.
When the race started, Verstappen was away immediately. We were positioned near a bend, and it was clearly not a part of the track where overtaking took place, as after about 10 laps, Lewis came round in 3rd, and then a bit later, he arrived in 2nd place, which was very exciting. George must have worked his way up because he was behind Lewis in 3rd with about a ten second gap. Perez also worked himself up, but could not overtake George.
We listened to the track interviews on the video screen, and the delight in Lewis’ voice was a tonic after the struggles they have endured. As always he thanked his team and praised George for his progression up to 3rd. The icing on the cake was being voted Driver of the Day, so richly deserved. I am so happy that I managed to go to Barcelona to support Lewis this weekend, it has been an amazing experience.
Be sure to follow Carol on Twitter @eagertogo and visit her website www.carolmcreasey.com!
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